THE soft ground saw a depleted field for the Huxley Stakes, and while last year’s winner Forest Ranger had his own ability to handle the going questioned, he’s a big, heavy-shouldered gelding and he appeared to relish conditions as he won with Tony Hamilton having to throw everything at him.

Matterhorn has been a revelation on polytrack in recent months, and while he proved he could be smart on turf, the combination of soft ground and more patient tactics makes it hard to be certain whether he could do better still.